Second Battle of Bieben
The Second Battle of Bieben was a major and significant battle that took place during August in 1986. It was a huge military battle, involving hundreds of infantry, dozens of tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and other armored ground vehicles, large numbers of mobile AA and mobile artillery units and dozens of aircraft on both sides. It was a major and significant victory for the Americans and NATO Germany, and a huge tactical loss for the Soviets, although the Soviets were able to advanced four kilometers through the Allied defensive lines to their objective, however for the most part the Allies were able to halt their advance. Order of Battle Advancing Down the Hill As the American and NATO German forces were preparing and waiting for the Soviets to arrive, heavy artillery fire began to erupt from the woods. First regular rockets and shells, then smoke canisters which covered the ground in smoke as dozens of Soviet armored vehicles came rapidly advancing down the hill. The land battle for Bieben was about to begin. When the Soviet armored vehicles came into view of the American M-1 Abrams Main Battle Tanks, they opened fire with their 105mm cannons. With this the Russians returned fire with their tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers. Pulling Back The Soviets had dozens of vehicles and hundreds of infantry, and their firepower was immense and their assault was completely relentless, so it was time for the Americans and the Germans to pull out and fall back to the first backup defensive line. They did, but now there was more American and NATO German support than before. The Soviets rushed and unleashed their massive firepower upon the Allied forces, but now it was now an even match against the American M-1 Abrams and the German troops. Air Support Arrives As the battle raged on, ten Mi-24 Hinds emerged high on the Russian lines above the forest. They flew fast and swift towards the Allied forces, and, unleashing their deadly firepower upon them, killed four American M-1 Abrams tanks in the process. The Air Battle Despite the presence of ten Mi-24 Hinds, a positive thing for the Soviets, four NATO German air-to-air fighters rapidly swooped in, firing their guns and missiles at them, killing a few helicopters. The Hinds fired back but to no avail. In addition, German mobile AA and SAM emplacements helped out with eliminating the Mi-24 Hinds, bit there was also some Russian mobile AA coming into play; gunfire, rockets and missiles went criss crossing across the sky, and suddenly their were no more aircraft in view. With this the Second Battle of Bieben was over. However with this short lull there would turn out to be a third battle of Bieben. Combatants/Members American *14 M-1 Abrams Main Battle Tank *4 A-10 Warthog Ground-attack Fighters *First Seargent Terry Mackall *Unknown American Division Captain NATO German *2 Companies of Bundehewer *1 Battery of Mobile 155mm Artillery Guns *Several Roland Mobile AA Guns *Unknown NATO German Colonel USSR/Soviet Union *Several companies of infantry *250 Infantry Fighting Vehicles (BMP-2 or BTR-80) *100 tanks (T-72 and T-80) *10 Mobile Artillery Rocket Launchers *4 ZSU-30 Mobile AA Guns *10 Mi-24 Hind Heavy Attack Helicopters *4 Ground-attack Fighters *General Alexseyev *Major Sergetov *Colonel Beregovy References #Red Storm Rising, pg 323-336